Food freezer



Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE roon mama mama JosephKukllch, East Orange, N. J. Application November a. 1m, Serial No.708,601 2 Claims. (01. szsa) My invention relates to refrigeration andin particular to a combination refigerator and food freezer which issuitable for household or commercial use.

It is an object of my invention to provide a structure which may be usedboth as an ordinary refrigerator, and also as a deep freeze unit forfreezing and storing perishables over a lon period of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide a structure which will.have a larger storage capacity by virtue of space-utilization means moreefllcient than those of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator which offerseasy access to its refrigeration machinery, and which facilitates theuse of interchangeable units in applications where it is important tokeep service interruption at a minimum, for example, in the storage ofpenicillin.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel food storageand handling system that is rapid, efiicient and easy to use.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of thecharacter described, that is easily and economically produced, which issturdy in construction, and which is highly efllcient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in thedetails of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fullyunderstood from the following description, when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional perspective view of the invention."

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator and freezercompartments and their respective covers. 7

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the compartments shown in Fig. 2,illustrating the lining of refrigeration tubing about the compartment.

Fig. 4 is a sectional front view ofthe compartments showing the storagebasket conveyor system using a hydraulic or a spring elevator means.

( aluminum or copper.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the refrigeration machinery carriage.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the carriage shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the foot storage compartments showingthe placement of an ice cube compartment.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar reference charactersrefer to similar parts, I

- show a combination refrigerator and deep freezer,

divided into three main compartments, B, C, and D. These compartmentsare thermally insulated from each other by a layer ii of glass fiber orother insulators of heat. The compartment D, shown in a lower corner,houses the refrigeration machinery (not shown) which may be of theconventional compressor condenser expander type. This machinery isconnected to the refrigeration coils III which surround the compartmentsB and C.

The refrigerant which emerges from the expansion valve of the machineryis conducted into one end of the coils ill and circulates through thelength of the coil tubing which is preferably of The refrigerantemerging from the other end of the coils passes into the compressorinlet is indicated by the arrows of Fig. 3. The ends of tubing ill areprovided with quick detachable couplings (not shown) and the entirerefrigeration apparatus, exclusive of the coils, is mounted upon thewheeled carriage or skid E. Accordingly, the machinery is easily removedthrough the rear door l8 compartment D for servicing or quickreplacement.

The carriage E is provided with flanged wheels I! and cooperating tracksll are laid on the door of the compartment D.

The refrigerator compartment B extends directly over the compartment D,and is maintained Fig. 5 is a modification of the basket conveyor shownin Fig. 4, in which an electric motor and a cable is used to elevate thestorage baskets.

Fig. 6 is a second modification of the basket conveyor in Fig. 9, inwhich the basket elevator is mechanically foot-operated.

Fig. 'l is a perspective view of the storage baskets.

at a temperature of approximately 36 F. by its portion of therefrigeration coils. The refrigera- --tor compartment is provided withan individual cover 20 as shown in Fig. 2, upon which the tracks 22 arelaid near the front and rear edges and parallel thereto.

Although the compartments B and D are shown on the left side of thecombination they may be located on the right side thereof if this ismore convenient.

The freezer compartment C occupies an entire end of the combination A,and is maintained at a temperature of approximately -14 F. by thesurrounding portion of refrigerating coils Hi. It is pointed out thatthe same coils are used to cool both the freezerand refrigerationcompartments B and C respectively, the difference in their respectivetemperatures being obtained by lining the freezer compartment with aboutfour times the length of tubing as is provided in the lining of therefrigerator compartment.

In order to render all parts of the freezer compartment C accessible twocubical storage baskets, constructed preferably of steel or aluminum,are provided. Attached to the underside of the top basket F are flangedwheels or rollers 32 which rest upon the upper frame members 28 and 30of the lower storage basket G as shown in Fig. 7.

Elevating means, which may be hydraulic or spring pistons as shown inFig. 4, or an electric motor and drive cable as shown in Fig. 5; or amechanical foot-pedal jack as shown in Fig. 6. The lower basket G israised until its top is level with the tracks 22 on the refrigeratorcompartment cover 20. The upper basket F may now be rolled sidewise dntothe refrigerator compartment cover exposing the contents of the lowerbasket G.

The hydraulic or spring elevator shown in Fig. 4 consists of a pair ofcylinders 38 located on opposite sides of the freezer compartment andcontaining either a fluid under pressure or a spring which islongitudinally compressible (not shown). When the freezer compartmentcover 24 is released the pistons 34 bear against the lugs 38 and "Awhich are attached to the opposite sides of the lower basket F and raisethe basket to the proper level. The baskets are restrained from risinghigher by a projection- 40 on the compartment wall which engages the lug36 on the lower basket, as shown in Fig. 4. The compression springs usedin the pistons should not be strong enough to raise the baskets F and Gwhen both are fully laden, since this would make it difllcult to depressthe baskets when both are empty. However, the compression strengthshould be sufllcient to carry the weight of one basket when fully laden,so that the user need exert a comparatively small force to raise orlower the basket. The main purpose of the springs is to reduce the forceneeded to lift the bottom basket, since this task is especially arduouswhen the housewife is bent over the cabinet.

In Fig. 5, I show a modification of the elevating means used in anyinvention in which the baskets are raised by a steel cable 44 whichwinds on one section of a double pulley 48 turned by an electric motor40. Another steel cable 42, which winds on the second section of thedouble pulley, moves the upper basket sideways onto the refrigeratorcover 20 so as to expose the lower basket. The pulleys I! are placedupon the exterior walls of the compartments to support the cables at thebends or comers indicated. In Fig. 6, I show a second modification ofthe elevator used in my invention, a mechanical elevator which employs afoot pedal actuator 00 coacting with a rack 58 in the manner of anautomobile Jack.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting,since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of theinvention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention: 1. In combination, a refrigerator compartmentand a freezer compartment adjacent to one another, a single housing forsaid compartments, said refrigerator and said freezer compartmentsadapted to be opened from the top, said freezer compartment being deeperthan the compartment of said refrigerator, at least two verticallypositioned baskets in said freezer compartment, the upper edge of thelower basket having rails, the

lower edges of the upper basket having rollers thereon to ride upon saidrails, and the refrigerator compartment having a pair of rails thereinwhereby said upper basket may ride thereon.

2. My invention as set forth in claim 1 including actuating meanslocated external to said compartments to elevate said baskets RICHARDJOSEPH KUKLICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,825,731 Hull Oct. 6, 19311,835,300 Peck Nov. 24, 1931 1,991,661 Conley Feb. 19, 1935 2,093,856wales Sept. 21, 1937 2,285,110 Clerc June 2, 1942 2,324,527 MorrisonJuly 20, 1943 2,414,061 Richard et a1 Jan. 7, 1947 2,418,715 JohnsonApr. 8, 1947

